Chapter 9
"Beetlejuice!" yelled a familiar voice. "Lydia?" asked Beetlejuice weakly. Lydia rushed toward the capsule and looked at her ghost friend.
"Oh my gosh, Beetlejuice. What has that mad man done to you?" asked Lydia as she looked at his weakened body. "He drained me of my powers. I don't know how much longer I can last. I think I'm as good as exorcised," said Beetlejuice struggling to talk. "No. You can't leave me. Dr. Notrub?" Lydia asked as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Dr. Notrub strolled over to the capsule with his mouth hanging open in shock. He asked, "Are you Beetlejuice?" The ghost nodded. "Does he look like this usually?" Dr. Notrub asked Lydia. "No. He's never looked like this before. We've got to help him," said Lydia urgently.
Dr. Notrub picked up the hat rack. "Stand back!" he ordered as he swung the hat rack and slammed it against the capsule. The glass shattered leaving a gaping hole in the capsule. Lydia carefully reached in and pulled out her ghost friend.
"Beetlejuice, where is Dr. Grim?" asked Dr. Notrub. "He drained my powers and used them to take himself to the Neitherworld. We've got to stop him. He's going to enslave the entire Neitherworld," said Beetlejuice. "Save your strength, Beetlejuice. Lydia, you told me you could go to the Neitherworld by calling Beetlejuice's name three times. We have to get there, stop Dr. Grim and get Beetlejuice's powers back," stated Dr. Notrub. "No! Lydia's ability to go to the Neitherworld is connected with my powers. There's a chance it might not work and I might become fully exorcised if I try to use what energy I have left," said Beetlejuice.
"Then we're stuck and everyone in the Neitherworld is doomed to an afterlife of slavery. Isn't there any other way to get there? Besides dying, of course," said Dr. Notrub. "Well, there could be one way I could use my powers and get us to the Neitherworld without becoming exorcised," said Beetlejuice as he coughed. "How Beetlejuice? If there is, tell us!" urged Lydia.
"If I possess someone, I could tap into the spiritual energy to keep myself from being exorcised. But it might still not work since my powers are weakened," said Beetlejuice. "We'll have to chance it. And if you need a body to possess, use mine," said Dr. Notrub.
"What? But Dr. Notrub, you hardly know Beetlejuice and you wouldn't know what it'd be like sharing a body with him," said Lydia. "I do know this much. I see that he is your best friend and I'm willing to do anything to help him. Come on, Beetlejuice. Enter my body," said Dr. Notrub as he held his hand out.
"Thanks, Dr. Notrub. I can see why you're Lydia's favorite teacher," said Beetlejuice smiling as reached his hand out and touched Dr. Notrub's palm. A glowing light surrounded them both as Beetlejuice turned into a white vapor and entered into Dr. Notrub's mouth. Then the glowing stopped and Dr. Notrub just stood there with a confused look on his face. "Beetlejuice, are you all right?" asked Lydia.
Suddenly Dr. Notrub's brown eyes changed to Beetlejuice's green eyes. "I think so, Lydia. I'm feeling a lot better in here," said Beetlejuice's voice from Dr. Notrub's mouth. Then Dr. Notrub's eyes went back to normal and he started speaking in his own voice. "This is my first paranormal experience and I'm loving it!" he exclaimed. Then his eyes changed again. "Glad you're enjoying it, doc. I just hope we can get my powers before the possession time limit is over," said Beetlejuice's voice. "There's a possession time limit?" said Dr. Notrub taking control again.
"Yes. If I stay in for too long, there's a chance that your body could become my permanent home and you would cease to exist. It's a Neitherworld law," said Beetlejuice. "Then let's get to the Neitherworld and get your powers back. My spiritual energy will keep you alive, so to speak. Lydia, say the words," said Dr. Notrub as he picked up his suitcase. Lydia nodded and uttered, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" In a flash of light, the girl and the man with the ghost in his body vanished.
In a moment, Lydia and Dr. Notrub were standing in the midst of a pile of debris. "Oh my gosh! The Roadhouse!" yelled Beetlejuice's voice from within Dr. Notrub. Lydia looked in horror at the debris. It seemed to be the remains of a house.
Dr. Notrub was staring in wonder at the surroundings. The sky was a mixture of orange and red. The land looked like a floating slab of rock that constantly twisted and turned at strange angles. Looking over the edge, Dr. Notrub saw a bottomless void.
"This is the Neitherworld?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yep. This is where I live. Where we're standing is the remains of my Roadhouse. Obviously, Dr. Grim appeared with his machine on this very spot," answered Beetlejuice. "I must admit that this isn't exactly what I expected the Neitherworld to be. I expected it to be something a little darker," said Dr. Notrub.
"Jacques! Ginger!" called Lydia. "Lydia, what happened to your clothes?" asked Dr. Notrub. He had just noticed that Lydia was now wearing a black leotard covered by red spider web patterned poncho. "These are the clothes that I end up wearing whenever I enter into the Neitherworld," replied Lydia. "And who are Jacques and Ginger?" Dr. Notrub asked. "Jacques is a weightlifting skeleton and Ginger is a tap dancing spider. They're Beetlejuice's roommates," said Lydia.
Then she turned and ran over the debris onto the stone street. She ran in the direction toward a large cow skull. Dr. Notrub followed her. But he stopped short as he noticed the road. There were long trails of tread marks leading toward a city full of crooked buildings. Lydia ran over to them. "The Monster Across the Street and Poopsie are gone too," said Lydia sadly. "Dr. Grim must've captured them when he first arrived here," said Beetlejuice.
"Wait a minute. Back up for a moment. Are you saying that there's more than just dead beings in this world?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes. There are living creatures here too. But they are all different kinds of monsters and creepy creatures," said Lydia. "So this place is more than just a spirit world. It's a parallel universe where the impossible becomes possible and the unusual is common. No wonder Dr. Grim wanted to come here. In this world, there are creatures that no army in the Outerworld could be prepared for. Invincible ghosts and ferocious monsters would make the perfect army for world domination. We must stop him. Let's follow the tank treads. I'm sure we'll find Dr. Grim this way," said Dr. Notrub. They both rushed up the road following the tank treads. They only hoped that they could get Beetlejuice's powers before it was too late.
"Beetlejuice!" yelled a familiar voice. "Lydia?" asked Beetlejuice weakly. Lydia rushed toward the capsule and looked at her ghost friend.
"Oh my gosh, Beetlejuice. What has that mad man done to you?" asked Lydia as she looked at his weakened body. "He drained me of my powers. I don't know how much longer I can last. I think I'm as good as exorcised," said Beetlejuice struggling to talk. "No. You can't leave me. Dr. Notrub?" Lydia asked as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Dr. Notrub strolled over to the capsule with his mouth hanging open in shock. He asked, "Are you Beetlejuice?" The ghost nodded. "Does he look like this usually?" Dr. Notrub asked Lydia. "No. He's never looked like this before. We've got to help him," said Lydia urgently.
Dr. Notrub picked up the hat rack. "Stand back!" he ordered as he swung the hat rack and slammed it against the capsule. The glass shattered leaving a gaping hole in the capsule. Lydia carefully reached in and pulled out her ghost friend.
"Beetlejuice, where is Dr. Grim?" asked Dr. Notrub. "He drained my powers and used them to take himself to the Neitherworld. We've got to stop him. He's going to enslave the entire Neitherworld," said Beetlejuice. "Save your strength, Beetlejuice. Lydia, you told me you could go to the Neitherworld by calling Beetlejuice's name three times. We have to get there, stop Dr. Grim and get Beetlejuice's powers back," stated Dr. Notrub. "No! Lydia's ability to go to the Neitherworld is connected with my powers. There's a chance it might not work and I might become fully exorcised if I try to use what energy I have left," said Beetlejuice.
"Then we're stuck and everyone in the Neitherworld is doomed to an afterlife of slavery. Isn't there any other way to get there? Besides dying, of course," said Dr. Notrub. "Well, there could be one way I could use my powers and get us to the Neitherworld without becoming exorcised," said Beetlejuice as he coughed. "How Beetlejuice? If there is, tell us!" urged Lydia.
"If I possess someone, I could tap into the spiritual energy to keep myself from being exorcised. But it might still not work since my powers are weakened," said Beetlejuice. "We'll have to chance it. And if you need a body to possess, use mine," said Dr. Notrub.
"What? But Dr. Notrub, you hardly know Beetlejuice and you wouldn't know what it'd be like sharing a body with him," said Lydia. "I do know this much. I see that he is your best friend and I'm willing to do anything to help him. Come on, Beetlejuice. Enter my body," said Dr. Notrub as he held his hand out.
"Thanks, Dr. Notrub. I can see why you're Lydia's favorite teacher," said Beetlejuice smiling as reached his hand out and touched Dr. Notrub's palm. A glowing light surrounded them both as Beetlejuice turned into a white vapor and entered into Dr. Notrub's mouth. Then the glowing stopped and Dr. Notrub just stood there with a confused look on his face. "Beetlejuice, are you all right?" asked Lydia.
Suddenly Dr. Notrub's brown eyes changed to Beetlejuice's green eyes. "I think so, Lydia. I'm feeling a lot better in here," said Beetlejuice's voice from Dr. Notrub's mouth. Then Dr. Notrub's eyes went back to normal and he started speaking in his own voice. "This is my first paranormal experience and I'm loving it!" he exclaimed. Then his eyes changed again. "Glad you're enjoying it, doc. I just hope we can get my powers before the possession time limit is over," said Beetlejuice's voice. "There's a possession time limit?" said Dr. Notrub taking control again.
"Yes. If I stay in for too long, there's a chance that your body could become my permanent home and you would cease to exist. It's a Neitherworld law," said Beetlejuice. "Then let's get to the Neitherworld and get your powers back. My spiritual energy will keep you alive, so to speak. Lydia, say the words," said Dr. Notrub as he picked up his suitcase. Lydia nodded and uttered, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" In a flash of light, the girl and the man with the ghost in his body vanished.
In a moment, Lydia and Dr. Notrub were standing in the midst of a pile of debris. "Oh my gosh! The Roadhouse!" yelled Beetlejuice's voice from within Dr. Notrub. Lydia looked in horror at the debris. It seemed to be the remains of a house.
Dr. Notrub was staring in wonder at the surroundings. The sky was a mixture of orange and red. The land looked like a floating slab of rock that constantly twisted and turned at strange angles. Looking over the edge, Dr. Notrub saw a bottomless void.
"This is the Neitherworld?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yep. This is where I live. Where we're standing is the remains of my Roadhouse. Obviously, Dr. Grim appeared with his machine on this very spot," answered Beetlejuice. "I must admit that this isn't exactly what I expected the Neitherworld to be. I expected it to be something a little darker," said Dr. Notrub.
"Jacques! Ginger!" called Lydia. "Lydia, what happened to your clothes?" asked Dr. Notrub. He had just noticed that Lydia was now wearing a black leotard covered by red spider web patterned poncho. "These are the clothes that I end up wearing whenever I enter into the Neitherworld," replied Lydia. "And who are Jacques and Ginger?" Dr. Notrub asked. "Jacques is a weightlifting skeleton and Ginger is a tap dancing spider. They're Beetlejuice's roommates," said Lydia.
Then she turned and ran over the debris onto the stone street. She ran in the direction toward a large cow skull. Dr. Notrub followed her. But he stopped short as he noticed the road. There were long trails of tread marks leading toward a city full of crooked buildings. Lydia ran over to them. "The Monster Across the Street and Poopsie are gone too," said Lydia sadly. "Dr. Grim must've captured them when he first arrived here," said Beetlejuice.
"Wait a minute. Back up for a moment. Are you saying that there's more than just dead beings in this world?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes. There are living creatures here too. But they are all different kinds of monsters and creepy creatures," said Lydia. "So this place is more than just a spirit world. It's a parallel universe where the impossible becomes possible and the unusual is common. No wonder Dr. Grim wanted to come here. In this world, there are creatures that no army in the Outerworld could be prepared for. Invincible ghosts and ferocious monsters would make the perfect army for world domination. We must stop him. Let's follow the tank treads. I'm sure we'll find Dr. Grim this way," said Dr. Notrub. They both rushed up the road following the tank treads. They only hoped that they could get Beetlejuice's powers before it was too late.